December 9 – Daily Notes – Amanda

Have you seen a two year old fake cry? It’s kind of hilarious. They go through all the motions and make plenty of noise, but no real tears come out and they can stop it on a dime. Normally it’s when they want something or when they don’t want to get in trouble for something. Well, in today’s Joel reading, God is telling the Israelites he’s tired of their fake cry. They’re not truly repentant and he promises to restore them if and only if they have a true change of heart.

Joel 1:1-3:21:

13-20 – Joel’s prophecy calls the Israelites to fast and repent.

12-13 – God is calling the people to true repentance. Instead of tearing their clothes, which was a common sign of sorrow, God is asking them to fix their hearts.

23-32 – The Lord promises to restore the Israelites when they repent. He promises to bless them abundantly.

1-16 – God now declares his judgment on nations that have acted against Israel and Judah.

Revelation 1:1-20:

1-11 – This section is used to confirm that John received a revelation in a dream from God that was intended to be given to seven churches. This is a vision of the end times.

12-20 – The number seven is prominent throughout the book of Revelation because it represents completion.

Psalm 128:1-6:

1-6 – Here, fearing the Lord is associated with material blessings.

Proverbs 29:18:

God’s visions and law keep people in line with God’s ultimate purpose for them and for the world.